NHS hospitals not feeding patients properly

The Care Quality Commission has given warnings to a dozen hospitals about their failure to ensure their patients' nutritional needs were met.

The Daily Telegraph reported NHS hospitals paid out an average of £8.54 per day on each patient's meals.

However, inspections by the CQC showed patients were not being helped to eat their food, had their food taken away before they finished or were interrupted while eating.

The chief executive of the Patients Association, Katherine Murphy, said: "We have had many calls to our helpline from people telling us that there were not enough staff to help them eat, especially when elderly patients were concerned."

"Time and again food has been left out of their reach, or the lid is left on, which is difficult for them to take off."

The Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, said: "Hospitals should not be cutting corners on food to make easy savings. Good food is an important part of good patient care."